Smoky Skies Send Relay For Life Indoors On September 9

There have been lots of changes in the annual Relay For Life cancer fundraiser in the past few years, but the pervasive smoke from wildfires surrounding Missoula has caused the event to be moved indoors for the first time.

Relay For Life volunteer Debbie Lawton said on Friday, that the event has been moved into the gymnasium at the LDS church on Bancroft on September 9.

"Cancer survivors are coming to this event, and it's important for them to have good air quality, and for them to be outside in this is unhealthy," Lawton said. "If you look at the air quality in Missoula right now, it's listed as 'Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups', and that would be our cancer survivors. We wanted to move it indoors so they could still participate, but be safe at the same time."

Lawton said the food trucks would be placed outside, but all the displays and participating teams would be inside the church's gymnasium. The event begins at 4:00 p.m. and the Luminaria Ceremony will be from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. where names of cancer victims and survivors are read aloud while candles inside decorated paper bags are lit to honor them. Closing ceremonies will take place with breakfast at 11:00 p.m. and closing at midnight.